IndyCar driver Ed Carpenter offers a word of caution to those who are jumping to conclusions about Tony Stewart's actions in the horrifying incident that took the life of young sprint car racer Kevin Ward Jr. last week.

With a daring drive through the middle, Brad Keselowski showed how badly he wants to win another championship.

Keselowski used a three-wide pass of Kyle Larson and Kevin Harvick at Chicagoland Speedway on Sunday to win the opening race of the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship. The victory automatically advances Keselowski into the second round of the 10-race Chase, which will eliminate four drivers every third race under NASCAR's new format.

Three-time NASCAR Cup champion Tony Stewart doesn't see himself getting behind the wheel of a sprint car again but on Monday said he will continue his racing career.

"I've had drivers that I've raced with every week and drivers that I haven't raced with for months that have said, 'Don't let this keep you from doing what you love,'" Stewart said during a news conference Monday. "This is what I've done all my life. This is what I've done for 36 years. I wouldn't change anything about it.

NASCAR fined Brad Keselowski $50,000 and Tony Stewart $25,000 on Tuesday for their roles in the fracas at Charlotte Motor Speedway over the weekend.

Both drivers also were placed on probation, with NASCAR saying the penalties "are about maintaining a safe environment following the race." Matt Kenseth and Denny Hamlin were not penalized for their roles in the skirmishes after Saturday night's race.

ChampionCurlin wrote:I'm sad Jeff Gordon is retiring after this year. It's hard to imagine NASCAR without him. The end of an era for sure.

He's still going to race. He's just not going to race full-time.

He said he MAY race here and there. So he may not. He said it was likely Homestead will be his last Cup race. I'm assuming Chase Elliot will take over full-time in 2016 so unless one of the 4 Hendrick drivers is out sick, there is no room for him to come back. There is a 4-car limit per team so Hendrick could not field a 5th for him, and I don't see him driving for anyone else.

ChampionCurlin wrote:I'm sad Jeff Gordon is retiring after this year. It's hard to imagine NASCAR without him. The end of an era for sure.

He's still going to race. He's just not going to race full-time.

He said he MAY race here and there. So he may not. He said it was likely Homestead will be his last Cup race. I'm assuming Chase Elliot will take over full-time in 2016 so unless one of the 4 Hendrick drivers is out sick, there is no room for him to come back. There is a 4-car limit per team so Hendrick could not field a 5th for him, and I don't see him driving for anyone else.

Kyle Busch will miss the Daytona 500 after suffering a broken right leg and left foot following a hard crash into an interior concrete wall during an Xfinity Series race Saturday at Daytona International Speedway.